The Place I Call Home
by BeverlyQueen
Summary: Ollie wakes up in an unknown place. Is if a dream or is it reality? Oneshot


He had to be dreaming. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his Metropolis apartment after having a bit too much to drink and nothing to eat. That should have been his first clue when he didn't wake up with a massive pounding headache. Groaning he slowly cracked open one eye hoping that said headache wouldn't hit him right now. Opening the other eye as it seemed that no monstrous hangover was present; he stretched out his arms and legs and looked up at the white ceiling that seemed a bit too high for his liking.

Sitting up in the bed, he noticed the softness of the sheets and colour décor of the room. Definitely something he did not design. This was a massive master bedroom complete with modern furnishings and a walk in closet that's door was half open. The walls were light blue and the curtains white, contrasting nicely with the pictures that adorned the walls.

Swinging his legs over the bed on to the carpeted floor, his toes felt instantly warm and he smiled at the underground heating that felt like the one that was in his parent's manor, in which he hadn't lived in years, it reminded him of running into his parent's room and feeling the warmth under his toes.

His head shoot to the window outside to see the rolling hills covered in green grass and the white fences separating paddocks from each other. This place was familiar. It was Queen Manor just outside Star City in California, it was the place he'd grown up in and the place he hadn't returned to after the ship crash.

Standing up he started walking towards the walk in closet. Stopping at the mirrored doors he bent down, picking up the heel that was hindering the door closing. Inspecting it for a moment his mind began telling him that this shoe meant something before he opened the door further to reveal rows and rows of clothes, half male and half female.

Ollie stopped at the entrance before glancing down at his left hand and sure enough there sitting on his ring finger was a plain gold band engraved with the words 'forever and ever' in cursive script.

Walking back into the main master bedroom, Ollie tried to run through his mind at what point in his life he had gotten married, if he did he had no recollection of it. And that thought really worried him, was he drunk when he did it.

Sidestepping towards the photos resting on the walls that he had noticed earlier, older versions of his friends greeted him with smiles and laughter as well a new younger faces of children stared back at him with toothless grins.

Three children caught his eye as they all stood together around a massive Great Dane who easily outmatched any of them in height. The dog's paws seemed bigger than the youngest child's head.

Glancing down at the gold plaque attached to the bottom of the frame he read "Jason, Connor and Olivia with 'Taz'" looking back at the smiling faces of the children he smiled at their bright green eyes and blonde hair.

Following the trail of photos towards the door he stopped at the astonishing family portrait that was closest to the door. The older man was clearly him, more defined in structure and more lines but it was defiantly him. His arms were wrapped around the young child a little girl as she smiled, her blond curls pulled back into a half ponytail with a white ribbon that made her look like a small china doll. Both young boys were dressed in white shirts and cream pants, their hair sort of neat and their smiles wide. The whole scene looked serene on the beach where the photo was taken.

What really caught his eye was the woman standing next to him, her smile wide and her eyes gazing at him with a loving expression. Her face had softened and she had more lines around her eyes and mouth but there was no mistaking her.

He was married to Dinah Lance aka Black Canary, star radio talk show host at the Daily Planet and second in command of the Justice League. And probably the last person in the world that would agree to marry him, she hated his guts. But there she was plain as day smiling at him from behind a glass frame.

Opening the door to the bedroom he entered the hallway as the sound of laughter filled his ears.

Stopping for a moment to cherish the sweet sounds he looked around at the coloured doors that rowed each side of the hallway each of them supporting a silver plaque with a name engraved on it.

Roy, Connor, Mia, Jason, Connor Jnr, Olivia – each name represented with a symbol and a coloured door as well as ribbons of various different sports pinned up some almost covering doors ranging from swimming to track, horse riding and with a smirk he added archery to the list.

Some of the doors were completely wide open showing messy rooms covered in books, papers and clothes while others were closed or partly open. Walking further through the corridor he opened the last door and came to an empty corridor except for the Great Dane asleep just outside the door. The dog raised its head for a moment before heaving himself up to his feet and padding over to him.

Sniffing him gently the dog pushed his nose into the back of his knee making him move forward a step. Repeating the same movement with the other leg, Ollie realised that the dog wanted him to walk towards the sounds of laughter. And he wasn't going to argue with a dog who probably weighed more than he did.

He began to notice the differences in the Manor now. It had changed over the many years that he hadn't been there. The furniture was different and the old, stuffy artefacts that his parents had were now replaced with photos, vases of all colours and paintings probably done by children, or what he hoped were children.

The carpet had been replaced with cream fluff that felt like heaven under his feet and the curtains were devoid of fancy drapes. The whole mansion had had a makeover.

Shaking his head he wondered what the formal part of the manor looked like. It probably hadn't changed than much since it was probably the most formal part of the house and it looked good.

The laughter was coming closer now and the dog whose name he'd realised was Taz walked faster towards the door. Before he could even help the dog with the door, Taz had jumped up on the handle and the door swung open.

What greeted him was not was he'd expect. The whole kitchen was now a creamy white and smelled fantastic.

Sitting on the counter swinging her legs around was a little girl her golden curls in two pigtails as she laughed at Roy Harper who was making funny faces. Both of them were streaked with white flour, covering their hair, faces and clothes while the other two young boys were covered in sticky golden stuff of what he assumed was pancake mix. Taz took one look at his empty food bowl on the floor before padding over to the nearest boy to start licking off all the foreign stuff that tasted good.

"Daddy" yelled the younger girl as she hopped off the bench and ran towards him.

Swinging her up in his arms and resting her on his hip, he smiled at her and everything fell into place.

He had a family now and that's all that mattered. He didn't have to know how or why he had gotten a second chance or why he was here and not nursing a hangover at his apartment. For that he was glad as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

"You little monkey are very dirty" he said, smiling as she giggled

"Roy's fault" she said as she pointed to the older teenager.

"My, fault how it is my fault?" asked Roy as he shook his head. "Mia help me out"

Only then did he notice the two other occupants of the room, both who were a lot older than the children and a lot cleaner. Mia and Connor were sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea and coffee while watching the scene unfold before them.

"You're on your own genius" she said before taking another sip.

"We tried to make pancakes Daddy, we really did" said one of the little boys

"But Roy stuffed up" yelled the elder boy as he pointed to the teenager.

"Come here little monster" said Roy as he proceeded to chase the boy around.

Ollie took one look at the mess in front of him, as flour and pancake mix covered the walls, the floor and some even on the ceiling.

"May I ask what happened here?" came a new voice behind them all

Spinning around Ollie laid eyes on his so called wife, who smiled at him.

"I had nothing to do with it" said Ollie raising one hand in surrender.

"Right" said Dinah as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll believe that when I see it"

Ollie smiled and gently pulled her to his side, his smile widening as she giggled and kissed her lips softly. 'I swear on my life'

Dinah giggled and Ollie was mesmerised by this woman who had change so much over the years, who now was a mother, wife and beautiful woman all in one. Looking around at his family he smiled and turned back to his wife to study her in detail.

Her eyes were still shining with the hints of mischief that accompanied them in the old days but there were laugh lines around her eyes and her mouth proof that she'd had a wonderful life full of smiling and laughter. She now had her blond hair back and it reached the small of her back in tumbling curls and waves that mixed together much like the younger girl in his arms.

"Alright Lovebirds break it up" came Roy's voice through his thoughts

Snapping out of his detailed research he smiled down at his wife who was looking at him peculiarly.

"Are you alright Ollie?" she asked looking up at him

"Just mesmerised by my beautiful wife" he said kissing her on the lips.

A groan filled the kitchen but Ollie didn't care. He had a family who loved him and who he loved dearly. And most important he had a home.

'_Home'_


End file.
